Breaking Records- The Torchwood Collection
by StormWolf10
Summary: Tenth in the Breaking Records series. Looks at Jack and Ianto's band Torchwood from when they started out to when they disbanded. Contains the five major Torchwood characters and Rhys, starts 6 months after the end of Journey's End EP
1. Torchwood Album Track 1

**A/N: Chapter One! For those of you who didn't read my Breaking Records series, all you really need to know is it's AU, with the Doctor, Rose and Jack being in a band of sorts. That band has now broken up :)**

Jack sighed, crossing yet another name off the list.

"No luck?" Ianto asked sympathetically, setting a mug of freshly-brewed coffee in front of his partner.

Jack shook his head, taking a sip off the coffee. Only Ianto would bring a thermos of homemade coffee with him to auditions.

"Mmm, Ianto, have I ever told you you make the best coffee?" Jack asked, smirking at his partner as he sat beside him.

"Well, I'm not adverse to hearing it again." Ianto replied with a smile.

Jack chuckled, setting his coffee mug down. It had been six months since the Glastonbury festival, six months since he'd last played with the Doctor and Rose. They still lived together, of course, until they scraped together enough money to pay for Rose's dream house in the countryside, but it just didn't seem… _right_ to Jack. All of it felt wrong, every last minute of it. He was seeing auditions for his and Ianto's new band Torchwood, had started auditions several days ago. It had taken months of careful planning just to reach this stage, with Jack sending out pamphlets and posters to every music shop in London, advertising the upcoming auditions. They'd started the search for potential band mates before he'd even played Glastonbury with the Doctor and Rose. Donna was their manager, of course, how could she not be? And they would produce any CDs they made under the Bad Wolf Records name, with Mickey Smith happy enough to help out with album covers. The only trouble was, the only potential band member they'd gotten from the auditions so far was a woman named Suzie Costello, and Ianto was quietly confident that she was ever so slightly off her rocker. With Jack playing drums and Ianto playing bass, they were ideally looking for a good lead vocalist, as well as a guitar player.

"Shouldn't we see the next person now?" Ianto pointed out to Jack, who was lost in thought.

"Wha-? Oh, yes." Jack realised, blinking before raising his voice "Next audition, please."

The door opened, and a young man probably in his late twenties entered the room. He had short brown hair and was wearing slightly battered jeans, trainers, a t-shirt and a black leather jacket. His guitar was on a strap slung round his neck.

"Name?" Jack asked, shuffling pieces of paper to find the man's name on his paperwork.

"Owen Harper." The man replied.

"Stand on the red mark on the floor, begin when you're ready." Jack told the man calmly, growing bored of repeating the same phrase to every person who had auditioned so far.

Owen did as he was told, crossing to the mark. Within seconds he was strumming away on his guitar, and barely a minute later, he was singing. Both Jack and Ianto had recognised the song immediately, of course, as Coldplay's 'Fix You'; several of the unsuccessful candidates had already sung it. But there was something different in the way that Owen sung it, something Jack couldn't put his finger on. He was still trying to work out what exactly it was when Owen finished singing.

"Well?" Owen prompted when Jack and Ianto just stared at him "Am I in?"

"Yeah… Yeah, you're in." Jack told him, still desperately trying to work out what Owen had done to make the song sound so different.

"If you, er, could write down your contact details on this form, that would be great." Ianto told the man, handing him a form and a pen.

With a bit of a huff, Owen wandered over and filled in the contact details before returning it to Ianto.

"Thank you, Mr Harper. We'll be contacting you within the next week to let you know when rehearsals begin." Ianto told the man.

Owen grunted and headed for the door.

**~StormWolf10~**

"Next audition," Jack called out as he hastily scrabbled for his list of names again.

As the door opened, the noise from the pub they were in drifted through- Donna hadn't been able to hire a hall, they had to hold the auditions in the back room of an East London pub- and a small, nervous-looking woman slipped in, smiling awkwardly at the two men. She was Japanese, a pair of dark, square glasses perched on her nose and her hair tied up in a ponytail.

"Name, please?" Jack prompted the woman, smiling reassuringly at her in an attempt to settle her nerves.

"Toshiko Sato." She replied, smiling back.

She had a look about her that suggested that, although she was shy, she was also quite sharp-minded, and Ianto made a mental note never to get in an argument with her. Jack glanced down at his notes, finding Toshiko's name.

"It says here you play keyboard, is that right?" Jack asked.

Toshiko nodded.

"Yes, I play piano and keyboard." She replied, slightly nervous.

With a smile, Ianto got to his feet, confusing Toshiko slightly, but he merely smiled as he set up the portable keyboard he'd thought to bring along. Once it was set up, Toshiko smiled gratefully at him, thanking him quietly.

"Whenever you're ready," Jack told her with a smile.

**~StormWolf10~  
**By the time Toshiko had left, Jack and Ianto had another band member. Although she was quiet, Tosh had proved that she was rather skilled in music, and Jack and Ianto agreed she would be a valuable addition to the band.

"So, I guess that's it, then." Jack sighed, dropping his pen onto the desk.

"What about Suzie?" Ianto reminded his partner of the slightly-psycho fifth band member.

"Well, we said we'd let her know. We could just tell her that we felt she wasn't right for the band." Jack shrugged.

"And what? Say we replaced her with Owen?" Ianto asked incredulously.

Jack was about to reply when there was a knock on the door, and it opened slightly.

"Sorry, I'm not too late, am I?" a young Welshwoman asked, hovering in the doorway "We got a bit lost, see, couldn't find the pub."

"No, no, that's alright." Jack told the woman, smiling and gesturing for her to come in.

"What's your name?" Ianto asked, smiling reassuringly at the woman.

"Gwen. Gwen Cooper." Gwen replied, smiling as she brushed her dark brown hair out of her eyes and readjusted her guitar.

"Well, Gwen, Gwen Cooper, show us what you've got!" Jack announced with a grin.


	2. Torchwood Album Track 2

**A/N: Next chapter :) Remember to read and review!**

They'd given Gwen the job almost immediately. For one, she was an excellent singer and guitar player, and for another, it meant they wouldn't be lying to Suzie when they told her they found someone more suitable. Gwen had been delighted, running back outside to tell her boyfriend Rhys, who had driven her all the way down from Cardiff for the audition.

"Bloody hell, Gwen! We're gonna have to buy a flat!" Rhys realised, wide-eyed when Gwen told him her good news.

Jack chuckled, and Gwen smacked her boyfriend on the arm.

"Can't you just be happy for me for a few minutes?" she asked in annoyance.

"I am happy, love." He assured her with a smile, kissing her gently.

"We'll be calling you within the week to let you know when rehearsals start." Ianto chipped in with a smile "So you'll have plenty of time to find a flat you're happy with."

"And what about the locals?" Rhys asked, dropping his voice and eying the people in the pub warily "Are they alright?"

Ianto blinked for a moment before nodding.

"It's London. They're not at all bothered by different accents." Ianto assured the man.

Rhys nodded, and began to lead Gwen back to the car.

**~StormWolf10~**

"Are you sure you'll be able to fit everyone into that poky little recording studio of yours?" Donna asked loudly over the phone.

"Yes, Donna! It'll be fine!" Jack told the woman for the umpteenth time.

"And have you checked with Theta and Rose?" Donna continued, causing Jack to roll his eyes "They live in the same house as you, you know!"

"Really? So that's where all my milk keeps going!" Jack replied sarcastically before becoming serious again "Of course I've asked them, Donna!"

"I'm just checking." Donna huffed on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, well, everything's fine. You're meant to be on holiday, anyway! I'm sure Lee won't appreciate you phoning me every few hours. He'll think he has competition!" Jack smirked.

He saw Ianto's lips curl upwards in a slight smile as he concentrated on steering the car through the crowded London streets on their way back to Guildford.

"Just… Just phone me if you need anything though, right? Don't go bothering Theta and Rose. They're trying to settle down." Donna told Jack sternly.

"Yes, Mum." Jack mocked before hanging up the phone with a grin.

"Donna's gonna kill you for that, you know." Ianto told his partner, glancing at him.

"What can she do about it? She's in Spain!" Jack replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, but she has to come back sometime." Ianto pointed out.

Jack sniffed, feigning indifference.

"On your head be it." Ianto muttered under his breath.

**~StormWolf10~**

"How did the auditions go?" Rose asked when she heard the front door open.

"Fine, thanks." Jack replied, heading straight for the front room where Rose's voice had come from "Theta not in?"

Rose shook her head.

"No, he's got his apprenticeship today." Rose explained.

"So what've you been up to then?" Jack asked, brow furrowing.

"Nothing much." Rose admitted "I did a bit of washing, tidied some stuff away in mine and Theta's room. Mum came round."

"You coulda come with us, you know." Jack pointed out, sitting down on the other sofa.

"I know. But I didn't want to distract you." Rose replied simply.

They descended into silence for a few moments, and Rose couldn't help but grin when she heard Ianto bustling around the kitchen, evidently making coffee.

"So Theta's at school today, huh?" Jack asked.

Rose nodded.

"Yeah, he's doing his training. Dunno why he doesn't just become a proper music teacher straight away, but he said he'd rather be a primary school teaching assistant first. I think he's thinking of becoming a music teacher, though." Rose explained.

"Well, give him a while to decide. He might decide he's happy being a teaching assistant." Jack replied.

Rose hummed in agreement, picking at her jeans.

"And what about you?" Jack asked quietly "What're you gonna do."

"Don't know yet." Rose admitted with a shrug.

Just then, Ianto appeared in the doorway, two mugs of coffee- one for him, one for Jack- and a mug of tea- for Rose- balanced on a tray, along with a plate of biscuits.

"Thanks, Ianto." Rose told the Welshman, smiling as he handed her a mug of tea.

"No problem." Ianto replied with a smile, placing the tray on the coffee table as Jack and he took their own mugs.

"What time's Theta in, then?" Jack asked suddenly.

"Probably about half four at the latest." Rose replied "Depends if they want him to stay after school's finished. Why?"

"I need to ask him a favour." Jack explained "But it's no big deal. It can wait."

Rose frowned in confusion, but didn't push any further.


	3. Torchwood Album Track 3

**A/N: Short chapter. Sorry about that. And the lack of updates. Sorry.**

As it turned out, the Doctor was home at just gone four.

"Theta! Could I talk to you for a minute? Upstairs?" Jack asked, collaring his friend the moment he stepped through the door.

"Well, yeah, I suppose." The Doctor nodded, brow furrowed slightly as Jack led him up to the recording studio.

Jack didn't speak until he'd checked the door was firmly shut.

"I need your help writing music." Jack told his friend quietly.

The Doctor blinked owlishly.

"Why didn't you ask Rose?" he asked in confusion.

"I don't know," Jack shrugged "I just… I'd rather ask you."

"Ok," the Doctor nodded, taking a seat on the sofa "what do you need to know?"

"Everything." Jack replied, wide-eyed.

Again, the Doctor blinked.

"How about we start after dinner?" he asked eventually.

**~StormWolf10~**

A week later, Ianto had made the calls to Owen, Toshiko and Gwen, letting them know that rehearsals would commence on the sixth of next month. That gave the Doctor and Rose time to finish teaching Jack how to write music. Rose had been roped in too, because they were losing a lot of time while the Doctor did his apprenticeship to become a teaching assistant.

"Have you had any more ideas for songs?" Rose asked Jack one morning after the Doctor had left out and Ianto had gone shopping.

Jack shrugged, sighing.

"I have a couple of ideas, but I have no idea how to write them down." Jack told her, sighing "This is why I play drums! I don't know how to write music for guitar!"

"Well, I could give you a hand if you wanted." Rose offered.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked.

Rose shrugged.

"Not like I've got anything else to do, is it?" Rose pointed out with a small smile.

Jack smiled weakly and Rose tugged him up from the sofa, leading him upstairs to the recording studio. She nudged open the paint-streaked door and flopped down on the sofa, patting the empty seat beside her. As Jack sat down, Rose reached for a notepad and pen.

"Go on then," Rose prompted, pen poised above the pad "what are your ideas so far?"

Jack blinked and looked at Rose, who merely raised an eyebrow at him.

"You said you had a couple of ideas." Rose reminded Jack after a few moments "What were your ideas? Song titles? Choruses, or something? We can do a mind map."

Jack nodded before hesitantly reaching for the pad. Rose handed it to him along with the pen, watching as Jack jotted down several ideas for songs. She couldn't see much due to the angle he was holding the pad, but Rose thought she saw the words 'Abaddon', 'Rift' and '1941'.

"That's all I've got so far." Jack admitted in embarrassment.

"It's a good start." Rose encouraged with a smile.

"Yeah, but I don't really know where to go from there." Jack sighed, dropping the notepad and pen onto his lap to run his hands through his hair "All I've got is song titles. I don't even know how the songs would _sound_! Geez, Rose, maybe this wasn't a good idea…"

"Don't be like that," Rose sighed, rubbing Jack's arm comfortingly "it'll be fine. It's just difficult knowing where to start. I was the same when Theta taught me how to write music."

Jack looked unconvinced, and they fell into silence for a few minutes. Eventually, Rose piped up again.

"How about you leave this list with me, and Theta and I will try and come up with some ideas for you, yeah?"

Managing a weak smile, Jack nodded.


	4. Torchwood Album Track 4

**A/N: New chapter! And has anyone in the UK been watching Eve Myles in 'Frankie'? She's such a good singer, even if it was karaoke!**

"So this is it?" Owen Harper asked, scrunching his nose up slightly.

He, Gwen and Toshiko had all arrived at Jack's house for their first official rehearsal. Admittedly, the recording studio was a little cramped with five people rather than three, and Jack's drums and Tosh's keyboard took up a fair portion of the room. Nonetheless, Jack was determined they'd cope. By now, Jack had had help writing a few songs they could practice, as well as the Doctor and Rose penning a couple in their spare time for them.

"I think it's nice," Tosh piped up with a small smile, looking around the room and blushing slightly when she saw Jack grinning at her from just inside the doorway "cosy."

"Yeah, but there's hardly room to set up, is there?" Owen pointed out in annoyance.

Gwen rolled her eyes.

"Geez, Owen!" Gwen sighed "It'll be fine!"

The five of them had met up a couple of times at a pub for a chat so that they could get to know each other a little better before beginning to rehearse. The group had quickly established that Owen was going to be the pessimistic one, although he also seemed to double as their resident Casanova. Tosh was the quiet, sensible, knowledgeable one and Gwen was the one who was ready for anything (even if she seemed a little more naïve than the others).

"Oh, is that right, Freckles?" Owen asked, raising an eyebrow at Gwen.

He'd nicknamed the Welshwoman 'Freckles' on their first-ever meeting, and Gwen had already given up trying to get him to drop it again- the more she'd tried to stop him, the more Owen had used it.

"Oh, come on, Owen," Jack chipped in with a smirk, speaking for the first time as he moved into the room "where's your sense of adventure?"

"I don't think there's enough room for it in this poky little place." Owen retorted quickly.

And then, suddenly, Ianto appeared at the doorway, several cups of coffee on a tray.

"Who's for coffee?" Ianto asked cheerily.

**~StormWolf10~**

Rose unlocked the front door, hearing soft strains of music coming from upstairs. That had been why she'd gone out- didn't want to impose on their rehearsals. Still, she should let them know she was back. And so, Rose slowly made her way upstairs. She thought she could recognise the strains of music as the song she and the Doctor had written for them, 'Out Of Time'. Reaching the top of the stairs, Rose knocked on the door of the music room, hearing everyone inside hush. Rose opened the door and popped her head round, smiling at Jack.

"Hey, just to let you know I'm back. Don't worry, I won't disturb you." Rose told Jack and Ianto with a smile.

Jack grinned back and nodded, and Rose slipped back out again, shutting the door and heading back downstairs. Once she'd left the music room, everyone turned back to their instruments, ready to continue. And then Owen decided to speak.

"You're telling me that you're living with _that_ hot blonde and your shagging coffee boy there?" Owen asked Jack incredulously.

Almost immediately, the air was thick with tension. Gwen and Tosh shifted nervously, Tosh becoming extremely interested in the sheet music in front of her, while Gwen scratched at an invisible mark on her guitar. Jack was glaring at Owen, while Ianto just looked hurt.

"Excuse me?" Jack asked, eyes narrowing at the other man.

"I don't get why you're not shagging that blonde. She's far better than coffee boy. If you don't want her, maybe I'll-"

Owen didn't finish his sentence, because Jack was suddenly out from behind his drum kit, his hand at Owen's throat.

"I suggest you think _very_ carefully before finishing that sentence." Jack growled at the man "Not only are you offending my _partner_, but that 'hot blonde' you're suggesting you _shag_, happens to not only be with one of my best friends, but is my other best friend. And if you lay a _finger_ on her, you'll be out of this band before you can even _begin_ to apologise. Am I clear?"

"Y- Yes." Owen managed, wide-eyed.

Jack released the man, taking a few deep breaths before turning to the rest of the band.

"I think we'll leave it there today. I suddenly don't feel much like rehearsing."


End file.
